US20220354186A1 - Method for validation and modification of device state transitions for an aerosol generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for functional testing of aerosol provision devices may include performing a functional state transition test of a power unit. The functional state transition test of the power unit may include extracting a unique identifier from the power unit of an aerosol provision device responsive to operable coupling of the power unit to a test fixture, determining a transition code based on the unique identifier, providing the transition code to the power unit via the test fixture to transition the power unit from an initial state to a transitioned state, and transitioning the power unit to the initial state.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD
• Example embodiments generally relate to non-combustible aerosol provision systems and, in particular, relate to a method for testing and confirming the capability of an aerosol provision device to conduct post sale activation (PSA).
BACKGROUND
• Non-combustible aerosol provision systems (e.g., e-cigarettes/tobacco heating products or other such devices) generally contain an aerosolisable material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation. The formulation typically includes nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example through heat vaporization. However, devices including formulations with other materials, such as cannabinoids (e.g., Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or Cannabidiol (CBD)), botanicals, medicinals, caffeine, and/or other active ingredients, are also possible. Thus, a non-combustible aerosol provision system will typically include an aerosol generation chamber containing a vaporizer, e.g., a heater, arranged to vaporize a portion of the aerosolisable material to generate an aerosol in the aerosol generation chamber. As a user inhales on a mouthpiece of the device and electrical power is supplied to the heater, air is drawn into the device and into the aerosol generation chamber where the air mixes with the vaporized aerosolisable material and forms a condensation aerosol. There is a flow path between the aerosol generation chamber and an opening in the mouthpiece so the air drawn through the aerosol generation chamber continues along the flow path to an opening in the mouthpiece, carrying some of the condensation aerosol with it, and out through the opening in the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user.
• Aerosol provision systems include, for example, vapor products, such as those delivering nicotine that are commonly known as “electronic cigarettes,” “e-cigarettes” or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), as well as heat-not-burn products including tobacco heating products (THPs). Many of these products take the form of a system including a device and a consumable, and it is the consumable that includes the material from which the substance to be delivered originates. Typically, the device is reusable, and the consumable is single-use (although some consumables are refillable as in the case of so called “open” systems). Therefore, in many cases, the consumable is sold separately from the device, and often in a multipack. Moreover, subsystems and some individual components of devices or consumables may be sourced from specialist manufacturers.
• Aerosol provision devices, like those described above, may be subject to certain restrictions, including age restrictions. In some locations, use of the articles including the cartridges of an ENDS device is limited based on user age. To accommodate the need for authentication of a device by an age verified user, any of a number of authentication methods may be employed. However, many of these authentication methods may require interaction with a host device (e.g., a smartphone or other wireless communication device that can access authentication services). These authentication methods may therefore rely on the ability of the user to effectively carry on the interaction between the host device and the aerosol provision device in order to seamlessly complete the authentication process. Accordingly, it may be desirable to introduce methods, devices or systems that ensure the reliability of the aerosol provision devices relative to their proper setup for PSA, and ensure that they also have the proper functional capability to be authenticated by authorized or age verified users.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES
• In an example embodiment, a method for functional testing of aerosol provision devices may be provided. The method may include performing a functional state transition test of a power unit. The functional state transition test of the power unit may include extracting a unique identifier from the power unit of an aerosol provision device responsive to operable coupling of the power unit to a test fixture, determining a transition code based on the unique identifier, providing the transition code to the power unit via the test fixture to transition the power unit from an initial state to a transitioned state, and transitioning the power unit to the locked state.
• It will be appreciated that this Brief Summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example implementations to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above described example implementations are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the disclosure in any way. Other example implementations, aspects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of some described example implementations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
• Having thus described some example embodiments in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
• FIG. 1A illustrates a general block diagram of a non-combustible aerosol provision system that may be used in connection with an example embodiment;
• FIGS. 1B and 1C illustrate an aerosol provision system in the form of a vapor product, according to some example implementations;
• FIG. 1D illustrates a nebulizer that may be used to implement an aerosol generator of an aerosol provision system, according to some example implementations;
• FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C illustrate an aerosol provision system in the form of a heat-not-burn product, according to some example implementations;
• FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example implementation of devices associated with a PSA process in accordance with an example embodiment;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a test fixture in accordance with an example embodiment;
• FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a test fixture in accordance with an example embodiment;
• FIG. 6 is a side view of a cavity in a testing module in accordance with an example embodiment;
• FIG. 7 is a diagram of a PSA board associated with an instance of the testing module in accordance with an example embodiment;
• FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a method of functionally testing an aerosol provision device in accordance with an example embodiment; and
• FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a method associated with performance of one or more functional tests in accordance with an example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all example embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described and pictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, operable coupling should be understood to relate to direct or indirect connection that, in either case, enables functional interconnection of components that are operably coupled to each other.
• As indicated above, the present disclosure relates to requiring an authentication of an age-restricted device, such as an aerosol delivery device or an electronic nicotine delivery systems (“ENDS”) device. The authentication may include or require a prior age verification, such that the age-restricted device is not operational for a user that is not age-verified. The authentication may include the age-restricted device receiving a control signal for authenticating the device. The control signal may include audio signals and/or visual/optical signals for authenticating the device. In some case, the authentication may be initiated after a device wakeup procedure, in order to conserve power prior to authentication. However, in any case, the authentication (and/or wakeup) may be initiated by insertion of a dedicated module into the device. The module may therefore be added to minimize changes to existing ENDS device designs.
• An aerosol delivery device or ENDS is one example of a device that may be associated with restriction, such as an age restriction. Other examples include delivery devices for delivery of cannabinoids, such as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or Cannabidiol (CBD), botanicals, medicinals, and/or other active ingredients. Thus, it will be appreciated that while an aerosol delivery or ENDS device is used as an example application of various embodiments throughout, this example is intended to be non-limiting such that inventive concepts disclosed herein can be used with devices other than aerosol delivery or ENDS devices, including aerosol delivery devices that may be used to deliver other medicinal and/or active ingredients to a user or may include smokeless tobacco or other tobacco products.
• The device authentication by a control signal can be in addition to, or may be required as a prerequisite to, the user performing age verification. A user that has not been age verified cannot authenticate a device. The authentication may need to be performed periodically for usage of an age-restricted product. There may be an age verification system for confirming an age of a user and/or authenticating the proper user and/or device. In any case, these activities may be referred to generally as post sale activation (PSA). The conduct of PSA is generally well received by consumers as long as the procedures for conducting PSA are relatively straightforward to employ. That said, if consumers encounter technical problems with any degree of frequency in the performance of PSA, negative impacts on brand loyalty and overall product usage can be expected. Thus, it may be desirable to confirm, prior to shipping of aerosol delivery devices for distribution, that each such device can be properly locked and unlocked. Example embodiments may provide a test fixture and/or methods for ensuring that aerosol delivery devices are functionally equipped to be locked and unlocked in association with PSA.
• Given that example embodiments may be employed in connection with providing security for non-combustible aerosol provision systems such as ENDS devices, a general description of an example device will be provided since some aspects of the test fixture may be tailored to interface with the case and/or other structural aspects of the ENDS devices.
• Unless specified otherwise or clear from context, references to first, second or the like should not be construed to imply a particular order. A feature described as being above another feature (unless specified otherwise or clear from context) may instead be below, and vice versa; and similarly, features described as being to the left of another feature else may instead be to the right, and vice versa. Also, while reference may be made herein to quantitative measures, values, geometric relationships or the like, unless otherwise stated, any one or more if not all of these may be absolute or approximate to account for acceptable variations that may occur, such as those due to engineering tolerances or the like.
• As used herein, unless specified otherwise or clear from context, the “or” of a set of operands is the “inclusive or” and thereby true if and only if one or more of the operands is true, as opposed to the “exclusive or” which is false when all of the operands are true. Thus, for example, “[A] or [B]” is true if [A] is true, or if [B] is true, or if both [A] and [B] are true. Further, the articles “a” and “an” mean “one or more,” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Furthermore, it should be understood that unless otherwise specified, the terms “data,” “content,” “digital content,” “information,” and similar terms may be at times used interchangeably.
• Example implementations of the present disclosure are generally directed to test fixtures or methods for interfacing with delivery systems designed to deliver at least one substance to a user, such as to satisfy a particular “consumer moment.” The substance may include constituents that impart a physiological effect on the user, a sensorial effect on the user, or both.
• Delivery systems may take many forms. Examples of suitable delivery systems include aerosol provision systems such as powered aerosol provision systems designed to release one or more substances or compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material. These aerosol provision systems may at times be referred to as non-combustible aerosol provision systems, aerosol delivery devices or the like, and the aerosol-generating material may be, for example, in the form of a solid, semi-solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine.
• Examples of suitable aerosol provision systems include vapor products, heat-not-burn products, hybrid products and the like. Vapor products are commonly known as “electronic cigarettes,” “e-cigarettes” or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), although the aerosol-generating material need not include nicotine. Many vapor products are designed to heat a liquid material to generate an aerosol. Other vapor products are designed to break up an aerosol-generating material into an aerosol without heating, or with only secondary heating. Heat-not-burn products include tobacco heating products (THPs) and carbon-tipped tobacco heating products (CTHPs), and many are designed to heat a solid material to generate an aerosol without combusting the material.
• Hybrid products use a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, semi-solid, liquid, or gel. Some hybrid products are similar to vapor products except that the aerosol generated from a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material passes through a second material (such as tobacco) to pick up additional constituents before reaching the user. In some example implementations, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material, and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may include, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
• FIG. 1A is a block diagram of anaerosol provision system100 according to some example implementations. In various examples, the aerosol provision system may be a vapor product, heat-not-burn product or hybrid product. The aerosol provision system includes one or more of each of a number of components including, for example, anaerosol provision device102, and a consumable104 (sometimes referred to as an article) for use with the aerosol provision device. The aerosol provision system also includes anaerosol generator106. In various implementations, the aerosol generator may be part of the aerosol provision device or the consumable. In other implementations, the aerosol generator may be separate from the aerosol provision device and the consumable, and removably engaged with the aerosol provision device and/or the consumable.
• In various examples, theaerosol provision system100 and its components including theaerosol provision device102 and the consumable104 may be reusable or single-use. In some examples, the aerosol provision system including both the aerosol provision device and the consumable may be single use. In some examples, the aerosol provision device may be reusable, and the consumable may be reusable (e.g., refillable) or single use (e.g., replaceable). In yet further examples, the consumable may be both refillable and also replaceable. In examples in which theaerosol generator106 is part of the aerosol provision device or the consumable, the aerosol generator may be reusable or single-use in the same manner as the aerosol provision device or the consumable.
• In some example implementations, theaerosol provision device102 may include a housing108 with apower source110 andcircuitry112. The power source is configured to provide a source of power to the aerosol provision device and thereby theaerosol provision system100. The power source may be or include, for example, an electric power source such as a non-rechargeable battery or a rechargeable battery, solid-state battery (SSB), lithium-ion battery, supercapacitor, or the like.
• Thecircuitry112 may be configured to enable one or more functionalities (at times referred to as services) of theaerosol provision device102 and thereby theaerosol provision system100. The circuitry includes electronic components, and in some examples one or more of the electronic components may be formed as a circuit board such as a printed circuit board (PCB).
• In some examples, thecircuitry112 includes at least oneswitch114 that may be directly or indirectly manipulated by a user to activate theaerosol provision device102 and thereby theaerosol provision system100. The switch may be or include a pushbutton, touch-sensitive surface or the like that may be operated manually by a user. Additionally or alternatively, the switch may be or include a sensor configured to sense one or more process variables that indicate use of the aerosol provision device or aerosol provision system. One example is a flow sensor, pressure sensor, pressure switch or the like that is configured to detect airflow or a change in pressure caused by airflow when a user draws on the consumable104.
• Theswitch114 may provide user interface functionality. In some examples, thecircuitry112 may include a user interface (UI)116 that is separate from or that is or includes the switch. The UI may include one or more input devices and/or output devices to enable interaction between the user and theaerosol provision device102. As described above with respect to the switch, examples of suitable input devices include pushbuttons, touch-sensitive surfaces and the like. The one or more output devices generally include devices configured to provide information in a human-perceptible form that may be visual, audible or tactile/haptic. Examples of suitable output devices include light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), quantum dot-based LEDs and the like. Other examples of suitable output devices include display devices (e.g., electronic visual displays), touchscreens (integrated touch-sensitive surface and display device), loudspeakers, vibration motors and the like.
• In some examples, thecircuitry112 includesprocessing circuitry118 configured to perform data processing, application execution, or other processing, control or management services according to one or more example implementations. The processing circuitry may include a processor embodied in a variety of forms such as at least one processor core, microprocessor, coprocessor, controller, microcontroller or various other computing or processing devices including one or more integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), some combination thereof, or the like. In some examples, the processing circuitry may include memory coupled to or integrated with the processor, and which may store data, computer program instructions executable by the processor, some combination thereof, or the like.
• As also shown, in some examples, the housing108 and thereby theaerosol provision device102 may also include acoupler120 and/or areceptacle122 structured to engage and hold the consumable104, and thereby couple the aerosol provision device with the consumable. The coupler may be or include a connector, fastener or the like that is configured to connect with a corresponding coupler of the consumable, such as by a press fit (or interference fit) connection, threaded connection, magnetic connection or the like. The receptacle may be or include a reservoir, tank, container, cavity, receiving chamber or the like that is structured to receive and contain the consumable or at least a portion of the consumable.
• The consumable104 is an article including aerosol-generating material124 (also referred to as an aerosol precursor composition), part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. Theaerosol provision system100 may include one or more consumables, and each consumable may include one or more aerosol-generating materials. In some examples in which the aerosol provision system is a hybrid product, the aerosol provision system may include a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol, which may then pass through a second, solid aerosol-generating material to pick up additional constituents before reaching the user. These aerosol-generating materials may be within a single consumable or respective consumables that may be separately removable.
• The aerosol-generating material124 is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. The aerosol-generating material may be, for example, in the form of a solid, semi-solid, liquid or gel. The aerosol-generating material may include an “amorphous solid,” which may be alternatively referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e., non-fibrous). In some examples, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some examples, the aerosol-generating material may include from about 50 wt %, 60 wt % or 70 wt % of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt %, 95 wt % or 100 wt % of amorphous solid.
• The aerosol-generating material124 may include one or more of each of a number of constituents such as anactive substance126,flavorant128, aerosol-former material130 or otherfunctional material132.
• Theactive substance126 may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response such as improved alertness, improved focus, increased energy, increased stamina, increased calm or improved sleep. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), L-theanine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 (cobalamin) or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, terpenes, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may include one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco,cannabisor another botanical.
• In some examples in which theactive substance126 includes derivatives or extracts, the active substance may be or include one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.
• As noted herein, theactive substance126 may include or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term “botanical” includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may include an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco,eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa,cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger,Ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin,papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant,curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive,carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry,ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca,Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citratac.v.,Mentha piperitac.v,Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Mentha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicatac.v. andMentha suaveolens.
• In yet other examples, theactive substance126 may be or include one or more of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)/oxitriptan/Griffoniasimplicifolia, acetylcholine, arachidonic acid (AA, omega-6), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Bacopa monniera, beta alanine, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), Centellaasiatica, chai-hu, cinnamon, citicoline, cotinine, creatine, curcumin, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, omega-3), dopamine, Dorstenia arifolia, DorsteniaOdorata, essential oils, GABA, Galphimiaglauca, glutamic acid, hops, kaempferiaparviflora(Thaiginseng), kava, L-carnitine, L-arginine, lavender oil, L-choline, liquorice, L-lysine, L-theanine, L-tryptophan, lutein, magnesium, magnesium L-threonate, myo-inositol, nardostachyschinensis, nitrate, oil-based extract ofViola odorata, oxygen, phenylalanine, phosphatidylserine, quercetin, resveratrol, Rhizoma gastrodiae,Rhodiola, Rhodiola rosea, rose essential oil, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), sceletiumtortuosum, schisandra, selenium, serotonin, skullcap, spearmint extract, spikenard, theobromine, tumaric, Turnera aphrodisiaca, tyrosine, vitamin A, vitamin B3, or yerba mate.
• In some example implementations, the aerosol-generating material124 includes aflavorant128. As used herein, the terms “flavorant” and “flavor” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. Flavorants may include naturally occurring flavor materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco,cannabis, licorice (liquorice),hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white barkmagnolialeaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, redberry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit,papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar,betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom,cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genusMentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass,rooibos, flax,Ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme,juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant,curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis,valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive,carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. Flavorants may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. Flavorants may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.
• In some example implementations, theflavorant128 may include a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.
• The aerosol-former material130 may include one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some example implementations, the aerosol-former material may include one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.
• The one or more otherfunctional materials132 may include one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants. Suitable binders include, for example, pectin, guar gum, fruit pectin, citrus pectin, tobacco pectin, hydroxyethyl guar gum, hydroxypropyl guar gum, hydroxyethyl locust bean gum, hydroxypropyl locust bean gum, alginate, starch, modified starch, derivatized starch, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, ethylhydroxymethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, tamarind gum, dextran, pullalon, konjac flour or xanthan gum.
• In some example implementations, the aerosol-generating material124 may be present on or in a support to form a substrate134. The support may be or include, for example, paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material (e.g., a material formed from reconstituted plant material, such as reconstituted tobacco, reconstituted hemp, etc.), a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some examples, the support includes a susceptor, which may be embedded within the aerosol-generating material, or on one or either side of the aerosol-generating material.
• Although not separately shown, in some example implementations, the consumable104 may further include receptacle structured to engage and hold the aerosol-generating material124, or substrate134 with the aerosol-generating material. The receptacle may be or include a reservoir, tank, container, cavity, receiving chamber or the like that is structured to receive and contain the aerosol-generating material or the substrate. The consumable may include an aerosol-generating material transfer component (also referred to as a liquid transport element) configured to transport aerosol-generating material to theaerosol generator106. The aerosol-generating material transfer component may be adapted to wick or otherwise transport aerosol-generating material via capillary action. In some examples, the aerosol-generating material transfer component may include a microfluidic chip, a micro pump or other suitable component to transport aerosol-generating material.
• The aerosol generator106 (also referred to as an atomizer, aerosolizer or aerosol production component) is configured to energize the aerosol-generating material124 to generate an aerosol, or otherwise cause generation of an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material. More particularly, in some examples, the aerosol generator may be powered by thepower source110 under control of thecircuitry112 to energize the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol.
• In some example implementations, theaerosol generator106 is an electric heater configured to perform electric heating in which electrical energy from the power source is converted to heat energy, which the aerosol-generating material is subject to so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. Examples of suitable forms of electric heating include resistance (Joule) heating, induction heating, dielectric and microwave heating, radiant heating, arc heating and the like. More particular examples of suitable electric heaters include resistive heating elements such as wire coils, flat plates, prongs, micro heaters or the like.
• In some example implementations, theaerosol generator106 is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating, or with only secondary heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of increased pressure, vibration, or electrostatic energy. More particular examples of these aerosol generators include jet nebulizers, ultrasonic wave nebulizers, vibrating mesh technology (VMT) nebulizers, surface acoustic wave (SAW) nebulizers, and the like.
• A jet nebulizer is configured to use compressed gas (e.g., air, oxygen) to break up aerosol-generating material124 into an aerosol, and an ultrasonic wave nebulizer is configured to use ultrasonic waves to break up aerosol-generating material into an aerosol. A VMT nebulizer includes a mesh, and a piezo material (e.g., piezoelectric material, piezomagnetic material) that may be driven to vibrate and cause the mesh to break up aerosol-generating material into an aerosol. A SAW nebulizer is configured to use surface acoustic waves or Rayleigh waves to break up aerosol-generating material into an aerosol.
• In some examples, theaerosol generator106 may include a susceptor, or the susceptor may be part of the substrate134. The susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field generated by a magnetic field generator that may be separate from or part of the aerosol generator. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor in some examples may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor of these examples is heatable by both heating mechanisms.
• Although not separately shown, either or both theaerosol provision device102 or the consumable104 may include an aerosol-modifying agent. The aerosol-modifying agent is a substance configured to modify the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material124, such as by changing the taste, flavor, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. In various examples, the aerosol-modifying agent may be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may include, for example, one or more of a flavorant, colorant, water or carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may be a solid, semi-solid, liquid or gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material. In some examples, the aerosol-modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent.
• Theaerosol provision system100 and its components including theaerosol provision device102, consumable104, andaerosol generator106 may be manufactured with any of a number of different form factors, and with additional or alternative components relative to those described above.
• FIGS. 1B and 1C illustrate anaerosol provision system140 in the form of a vapor product, and that in some example implementations may correspond to theaerosol provision system100. As shown, theaerosol provision system140 may include an aerosol provision device141 (also referred to as a control body or power unit) and a consumable142 (also referred to as a cartridge or tank), which may correspond to respectively theaerosol provision device102 and the consumable104. The aerosol provision system and in particular the consumable may also include an aerosol generator corresponding to theaerosol generator106, and in the form of anelectric heater144 such as a heating element like a metal plate or metal wire coil configured to convert electrical energy to heat energy through resistance (Joule) heating. The aerosol provision device and the consumable can be permanently or detachably aligned in a functioning relationship.FIGS. 1B and 1C illustrate respectively a perspective view and a partially cut-away side view of the aerosol provision system in a coupled configuration.
• As seen inFIG. 1B and the cut-away view illustrated inFIG. 1C, theaerosol provision device141 and consumable142 each include a number of respective components. The components illustrated inFIG. 1C are representative of the components that may be present in an aerosol provision device and consumable and are not intended to limit the scope of components that are encompassed by the present disclosure.
• Theaerosol provision device141 may include a housing145 (sometimes referred to as an aerosol provision device shell) that may include apower source150. The housing may also includecircuitry152 with a switch in the form of asensor154, a user interface including alight source156 that may be illuminated with use of theaerosol provision system140, and processing circuitry158 (also referred to as a control component). The housing may also include a receptacle in the form of aconsumable receiving chamber162 structured to engage and hold the consumable142. And the consumable may include an aerosol-generatingmaterial164 that may correspond to aerosol-generating material124, and that may include one or more of each of a number of constituents such as an active substance, flavorant, aerosol-former material or other functional material.
• As also seen inFIG. 1C, theaerosol provision device141 may also includeelectrical connectors166 positioned in theconsumable receiving chamber162 configured to electrically couple the circuitry and thereby the aerosol provision device with the consumable142, and in particularelectrical contacts168 on the consumable. In this regard, the electrical connectors and electrical contacts may form a connection interface of the aerosol provision device and consumable. As also shown, the aerosol provision device may include an externalelectrical connector170 to connect the aerosol provision device with one or more external devices. Examples of suitable external electrical connectors include USB connectors, proprietary connectors such as Apple's Lightning connector, and the like.
• In various examples, the consumable142 includes a tank portion and a mouthpiece portion. The tank portion and the mouthpiece portion may be integrated or permanently fixed together, or the tank portion may itself define the mouthpiece portion (or vice versa). In other examples, the tank portion and the mouthpiece portion may be separate and removably engaged with one another.
• The consumable142, tank portion and/or mouthpiece portion may be separately defined in relation to a longitudinal axis (L), a first transverse axis (T1) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a second transverse axis (T2) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and is perpendicular to the first transverse axis. The consumable can be formed of a housing172 (sometimes referred to as the consumable shell) enclosing a reservoir174 (in the tank portion) configured to retain the aerosol-generatingmaterial164. In some examples, the consumable may include an aerosol generator, such aselectric heater144 in the illustrated example. In some examples, theelectrical connectors166 on theaerosol provision device141 andelectrical contacts168 on the consumable may electrically connect the electric heater with thepower source150 and/orcircuitry152 of the aerosol provision device.
• As shown, in some examples, thereservoir174 may be in fluid communication with an aerosol-generatingmaterial transfer component176 adapted to wick or otherwise transport aerosol-generatingmaterial164 stored in the reservoir housing to theelectric heater144. At least a portion of the aerosol-generating material transfer component may be positioned proximate (e.g., directly adjacent, adjacent, in close proximity to, or in relatively close proximity to) the electric heater. The aerosol-generating material transfer component may extend between the electric heater and the aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir, and at least a portion of the electric heater may be located above a proximal end the reservoir. For the purposes of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the term “above” in this particular context should be interpreted as meaning toward a proximal end of the reservoir and/or the consumable142 in direction substantially along the longitudinal axis (L). Other arrangements of the aerosol-generating material transfer component are also contemplated within the scope of the disclosure. For example, in some example implementations, the aerosol-generating material transfer component may be positioned proximate a distal end of the reservoir and/or arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis (L).
• Theelectric heater144 and aerosol-generatingmaterial transfer component176 may be configured as separate elements that are fluidly connected, the electric heater and aerosol-generating material transfer component or may be configured as a combined element. For example, in some implementations an electric heater may be integrated into an aerosol-generating material transfer component. Moreover, the electric heater and the aerosol-generating material transfer component may be formed of any construction as otherwise described herein. In some examples, a valve may be positioned between thereservoir174 and electric heater, and configured to control an amount of aerosol-generatingmaterial164 passed or delivered from the reservoir to the electric heater.
• Anopening178 may be present in the housing172 (e.g., at the mouth end of the mouthpiece portion) to allow for egress of formed aerosol from the consumable142.
• As indicated above, thecircuitry152 of theaerosol provision device141 may include a number of electronic components, and in some examples may be formed of a circuit board such as a PCB that supports and electrically connects the electronic components. The sensor154 (switch) may be one of these electronic components positioned on the circuit board. In some examples, the sensor may comprise its own circuit board or other base element to which it can be attached. In some examples, a flexible circuit board may be utilized. A flexible circuit board may be configured into a variety of shapes. In some examples, a flexible circuit board may be combined with, layered onto, or form part or all of a heater substrate.
• In some examples, thereservoir174 may be a container for storing the aerosol-generatingmaterial164. In some examples, the reservoir may be or include a fibrous reservoir with a substrate with the aerosol-generating material present on or in a support. For example, the reservoir can comprise one or more layers of nonwoven fibers substantially formed into the shape of a tube encircling the interior of the housing172, in this example. The aerosol-generating material may be retained in the reservoir. Liquid components, for example, may be absorptively retained by the reservoir. The reservoir may be in fluid connection with the aerosol-generatingmaterial transfer component176. The aerosol-generating material transfer component may transport the aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir via capillary action—or via a micro pump—to theelectric heater144. As such, the electric heater is in a heating arrangement with the aerosol-generating material transfer component.
• In use, when a user draws on theaerosol provision system140, airflow is detected by thesensor154, and theelectric heater144 is activated to energize the aerosol-generatingmaterial164 to generate an aerosol. Drawing upon the mouth end of the aerosol provision system causes ambient air to enter and pass through the aerosol provision system. In the consumable142, the drawn air combines with the aerosol that is whisked, aspirated or otherwise drawn away from the electric heater and out theopening178 in the mouth end of the aerosol provision system.
• Again, as shown inFIGS. 1B and 1C, the aerosol generator of theaerosol provision system140 is anelectric heater144 designed to heat the aerosol-generatingmaterial164 to generate an aerosol. In other implementations, the aerosol generator is designed to break up the aerosol-generating material without heating, or with only secondary heating.FIG. 1D illustrates anebulizer180 that may be used to implement the aerosol generator of an aerosol provision system, according to some these other example implementations.
• As shown inFIG. 1D, thenebulizer180 includes amesh plate182 and apiezo material184 that may be affixed to one another. The piezo material may be driven to vibrate and cause the mesh plate to break up aerosol-generating material into an aerosol. In some examples, the nebulizer may also include a supporting component located on a side of the mesh plate opposite the piezo material to increase the longevity of the mesh plate, and/or an auxiliary component between the mesh plate and the piezo material to facilitate interfacial contact between the mesh plate and the piezo material.
• In various example implementations, themesh plate182 may have a variety of different configurations. The mesh plate may have a flat profile, a domed shape (concave or convex with respect to the aerosol-generating material), or a flat portion and a domed portion. The mesh plate defines a plurality ofperforations186 that may be substantially uniform or vary in size across a perforated portion of the mesh plate. The perforations may be circular openings or non-circular openings (e.g., oval, rectangular, triangular, regular polygon, irregular polygon). In three-dimensions, the perforations may have a fixed cross section such as in the case of cylindrical perforations with a fixed circular cross section, or a variable cross section such as in the case of truncated cone perforations with a variable circular cross section. In other implementations, the perforations may be tetragonal or pyramidal.
• Thepiezo material184 may be or include a piezoelectric material or a piezomagnetic material. A piezoelectric material may be coupled to circuitry configured to produce an oscillating electric signal to drive the piezoelectric material to vibrate. For a piezomagnetic material, the circuitry may produce a pair of antiphase, oscillating electric signals to drive a pair of magnets to produce antiphase, oscillating magnetic fields that drives the piezomagnetic material to vibrate.
• Thepiezo material184 may be affixed to themesh plate182, and vibration of the piezo material may in turn cause the mesh plate to vibrate. The mesh plate may be in contact with or immersed in aerosol-generating material, in sufficient proximity of aerosol-generating material, or may otherwise receive aerosol-generating material via an aerosol-generating material transfer component. The vibration of the mesh plate, then, may cause the aerosol-generating material to pass through theperforations186 that break up the aerosol-generating material into an aerosol. More particularly, in some examples, aerosol-generating material may be driven through theperforations186 in the vibratingmesh plate182 resulting in aerosol particles. In other examples in which the mesh plate is in contact with or immersed in aerosol-generating material, the vibrating mesh plate may create ultrasonic waves within aerosol-generating material that cause formation of an aerosol at the surface of the aerosol-generating material.
• As described above, hybrid products use a combination of aerosol-generating materials, and some hybrid products are similar to vapor products except that the aerosol generated from one aerosol-generating material may pass through a second aerosol-generating material to pick up additional constituents. Another similar aerosol provision system in the form of a hybrid product may therefore be constructed similar to the vapor product inFIGS. 1B and 1C (with anelectric heater144 or a nebulizer180). The hybrid product may include a second aerosol-generating material through which aerosol from the aerosol-generatingmaterial164 is passed to pick up additional constituents before passing through theopening178 in the mouth end of the aerosol provision system.
• FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C illustrate anaerosol provision system200 in the form of a heat-not-burn product, and that in some example implementations may correspond to theaerosol provision system100. As shown, the aerosol provision system may include an aerosol provision device202 (also referred to as a control body or power unit) and a consumable204 (also referred to as an aerosol source member or cartridge), which may correspond to respectively theaerosol provision device102 and the consumable104. The aerosol provision system and in particular the aerosol provision device may also include an aerosol generator corresponding to theaerosol generator106, and in the form of anelectric heater206. The aerosol provision device and the consumable can be permanently or detachably aligned in a functioning relationship.FIG. 2A illustrates the aerosol provision system in a coupled configuration, whereasFIG. 2B illustrates the aerosol provision system in a decoupled configuration.FIG. 2C illustrates a partially cut-away side view of the aerosol provision system in the coupled configuration.
• As seen inFIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, theaerosol provision device202 and consumable204 each include a number of respective components. The components illustrated in the figures are representative of the components that may be present in an aerosol provision device and consumable and are not intended to limit the scope of components that are encompassed by the present disclosure.
• Theaerosol provision device202 may include a housing208 (sometimes referred to as an aerosol provision device shell) that may include apower source210. The housing may also includecircuitry212 with a switch in the form of asensor214, a user interface including alight source216 that may be illuminated with use of theaerosol provision system200, and processing circuitry218 (also referred to as a control component). In some examples, at least some of the electronic components of the circuitry may be formed of a circuit board or a flexible circuit board that supports and electrically connects the electronic components.
• Thehousing208 may also include a receptacle in the form of aconsumable receiving chamber220 structured to engage and hold the consumable204. The consumable204 may include an aerosol-generatingmaterial224 that may correspond to aerosol-generating material124, and that may include one or more of each of a number of constituents such as an active substance, flavorant, aerosol-former material or other functional material. And the aerosol-generating material may be present on or in a support to form asubstrate226.
• In the coupled configuration of theaerosol provision system200, the consumable204 may be held in the receivingchamber220 in varying degrees. In some examples, less than half or approximately half of the consumable may be held in the receivingchamber220. In other examples, more than half of the consumable204 may be held in the receivingchamber220. In yet other examples, substantially the entire consumable204 may be held in the receivingchamber220.
• As shown inFIGS. 2B and 2C, in various implementations of the present disclosure, the consumable204 may include aheated end228 sized and shaped for insertion into theaerosol provision device202, and amouth end230 upon which a user draws to create the aerosol. In various implementations, at least a portion of the heated end may include the aerosol-generatingmaterial224.
• In some example implementations, themouth end230 of the consumable204 may include afilter232 made of a material such as cellulose acetate or polypropylene. The filter may additionally or alternatively contain strands of tobacco containing material. In some examples, at least a portion of the consumable may be wrapped in an exterior overwrap material, which may be formed of any material useful to provide additional structure, support and/or thermal resistance. In some examples, an excess length of the overwrap at the mouth end of the consumable may function to simply separate the aerosol-generatingmaterial224 from the mouth of a user or to provide space for positioning of a filter material, or to affect draw on the consumable or to affect flow characteristics of the aerosol leaving the consumable during draw.
• Theelectric heater206 may perform electric heating of the aerosol-generatingmaterial224 by resistance (Joule) heating, induction heating, dielectric and microwave heating, radiant heating, arc heating and the like. The electric heater may have a variety of different configurations. In some examples, at least a portion of the electric heater may surround or at least partially surround at least a portion of the consumable204 including the aerosol-generating material when inserted in theaerosol provision device202. In other examples, at least a portion of the electric heater may penetrate the consumable when the consumable is inserted into the aerosol provision device. In some examples, thesubstrate226 material may include a susceptor, which may be embedded within the aerosol-generating material, or on one or either side of the aerosol-generating material.
• Although shown as a part of theaerosol provision device202, theelectric heater206 may instead be a part of the consumable504. In some examples, the electric heater or a part of the electric heater may be may be combined, packaged or integral with (e.g., embedded within) the aerosol-generatingmaterial224.
• As shown, in some examples, theelectric heater206 may extend proximate an engagement end of thehousing208, and may be configured to substantially surround a portion of theheated end228 of the consumable204 that includes the aerosol-generatingmaterial224. Theelectric heater206 may be or may include anouter cylinder242, and one or moreresistive heating elements244 such as prongs surrounded by the outer cylinder to create the receivingchamber220, which may extend from a receivingbase246 of the aerosol provision device to anopening248 of thehousing208 of the aerosol provision device. In some examples, the outer cylinder may be a double-walled vacuum tube constructed of stainless steel so as to maintain heat generated by the resistive heating element(s) within the outer cylinder, and more particularly, maintain heat generated by the resistive heating element(s) within the aerosol-generating material.
• Like theelectric heater206, the resistive heating element(s)244 may have a variety of different configurations, and vary in number from one resistive heating element to a plurality of resistive heating elements. As shown, the resistive heating element(s) may extend from a receivingbase246 of theaerosol provision device202. In some examples, the resistive heating element(s) may be located at or around an approximate radial center of theheated end228 of the consumable204 when inserted into the aerosol provision device. In some examples, the resistive heating element(s) may penetrate into the heated end of the consumable and in direct contact with the aerosol-generating material. In other examples, the resistive heating element(s) may be located inside (but out of direct contact with) a cavity defined by an inner surface of the heated end of the consumable.
• In some examples, the resistive heating element(s)244 of theelectric heater206 may be connected in an electrical circuit that includes thepower source210 such that electric current produced by the power source may pass through the resistive heating element(s). The passage of the electric current through the resistive heating element(s) may in turn cause the resistive heating element(s) to produce heat through resistance (Joule) heating.
• In other examples, theelectric heater206 including theouter cylinder242 and the resistive heating element(s)244 may be configured to perform induction heating in which the outer cylinder may be connected in an electrical circuit that includes thepower source210, and the resistive heating element(s) may be connected in another electrical circuit. In this configuration, the outer cylinder and resistive heating element(s) may function as a transformer in which the outer cylinder is an induction transmitter, and the resistive heating element(s) is/are an induction receiver. In some of these examples, the outer cylinder and the resistive heating element(s) may be parts of theaerosol provision device202. In other of these examples, the outer cylinder may be a part of the aerosol provision device, and the resistive heating element(s) may be a part of the consumable204.
• Theouter cylinder242 may be provided with an alternating current directly from thepower source210, or indirectly from the power source in which an inverter (as part of the circuitry212) is configured to convert direct current from the power source to an alternating current. The alternating current drives the outer cylinder to generate an oscillating magnetic field, which induces eddy currents in the resistive heating element(s)244. The eddy currents in turn cause the resistive heating element(s) to generate heat through resistance (Joule) heating. In these examples, the resistive heating element(s) may be wirelessly heated to form an aerosol from the aerosol-generatingmaterial224 positioned in proximity to the resistive heating element(s).
• In various example implementations, theaerosol provision device202 may include an air intake250 (e.g., one or more openings or apertures) in the housing208 (and perhaps also the receiving base246) to enable airflow into the receivingchamber220. When a user draws on themouth end228 of the consumable204, the airflow may be drawn through the air intake into the receiving chamber, pass into the consumable, and be drawn through the aerosol-generatingmaterial224. The airflow may be detected by thesensor214, and theelectric heater206 may be activated to energize the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol. The airflow may combine with the aerosol that is whisked, aspirated or otherwise drawn out an opening at the mouth end of the aerosol provision system. In examples including thefilter232, the airflow combined with the aerosol may be drawn out an opening of the filter at the mouth end.
• As noted above, PSA may be desirable after purchase or acquisition of theaerosol provision devices102/202 ofFIGS. 1 and 2, or other devices like them.FIG. 3 illustrates an example system diagram for functional control of a device300 (which may be an example of theaerosol provision devices102/202 ofFIGS. 1 and 2) for PSA in accordance with an example embodiment. In this regard,FIG. 3 illustrates how thedevice300 communicates with anage verification system310 through anetwork320 and ahost device330, in order to verify the user's age, which may also be used to authenticate thedevice300 periodically. Thedevice300 may be in a locked state (e.g., in which thedevice300 is unusable or such usage is strictly controlled) until authenticated properly via the PSA process. After authentication, thedevice300 may be unlocked and operate normally. Theage verification system310 may be operably coupled with thehost device330 over thenetwork320. Although not shown, theage verification system310 may be coupled with thedevice300 over thenetwork320.
• Thedevice300 may be any aerosol delivery device, including for example an electronic nicotine delivery systems (“ENDS”) device according to various embodiments described above. In one embodiment, theage verification system310 may not only verify an age (e.g. for an age restricted product), but may also provide authentication or user identification (e.g. for an actual purchase or to prevent theft). An example of the authentication and age verification by theage verification system310 is further described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/415,460, entitled “AUTHENTICATION AND AGE VERIFICATION FOR AN AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/282,222 on Apr. 2, 2019, the entire disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The authentication described below may rely on age verification being performed first and then referenced for subsequent authentication using a control signal340 sent to thedevice300. However, there may be other verification mechanisms other than age. For example, in some embodiments, user identification may be performed in lieu of age verification. Thus, for example, theage verification system310 is more generally simply an example of an authorization system that is configured to conduct PSA for thedevice300, and theage verification system310 may therefore more generally be referred to as an authentication agent. Cartridges or consumables may be registered as part of the age verification or authentication process as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/415,444, entitled “AGE VERIFICATION WITH REGISTERED CARTRIDGES FOR AN AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE,” filed on May 17, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,804 to Fernando et al. discloses identification systems for smoking devices, the disclosure of which is being incorporated herein by reference.
• Theage verification system310 may include a database that tracks users along with ages, as well as maintains a record of the devices and components (e.g. cartridges) along with approvals. It may be encrypted and/or use anonymous identifiers (e.g. numbers, letters, or any alphanumeric identifiers) for each user.
• The initial age verification may occur and be stored in the database, such as may be maintained at theage verification system310 and/or otherwise accessible over thenetwork320. In some embodiments, age verification records may be maintained using blockchain technology. Future age verification requests by that user may be confirmed by calling the database. Specifically, once a user is initially age verified as confirmed in the age verification system database, future verifications (i.e. “authentications”) may be merely calls to this database for unlocking thedevice300. In other words, a user initially performs an age verification and then subsequent usage may require authentication without the complete initial age verification requirements. The frequency with which thedevice300 must be unlocked or authenticated can vary. Likewise, the timing for when a user needs to re-verify their age (or otherwise re-authenticate themselves) may vary. For example, each time the cartridge is replaced, the user may need to re-verify or re-authenticate. In some embodiments, the re-authentication may be required after a certain number of puffs from thedevice300 or may be based on the passage of time (e.g. once per hour, day, week, month, etc.). The online database may track the requests for authentication and set limits per user. This can prevent the potential fraud of a single user unlocking other under-age user's devices. This also would prevent the re-distribution of unlocked (i.e. verified and authenticated) devices and/or accessories. Reasonable limits for the number of devices, chargers, consumables, and/or authentications can prevent this potential fraud.
• A user profile may be stored (e.g. on thedevice300 or from an application or app on a host device330) that includes an age verified identity for the user. An app on thehost device330 may access the user profile over a network, such as thenetwork320. Once a user is initially age verified as confirmed in the age verification system database, the user profile for that user may be generated and saved so that future verifications (i.e. “authentications”) may be merely calls to this database. In one embodiment, the age verification may be a prerequisite for thehost device330 to be able to generate and submit the control signal340 to thedevice300.
• Thehost device330 may be any computing or communication device, such as a smartphone, tablet, cellular phone, analog phone, computer, or dedicated authentication device at a point of sale. Thehost device330 may communicate with or provide the control signal340 to thedevice300 for authentication or activation. The control signal340 from thehost device320 to thedevice300 may be a wired or a wireless signal such as, for example an RF signal, a vibratory signal, an audio signal or a light/optical signal. Optical signals should be understood to include those in the visible light spectrum, but also infra-red signals, fiber optic signals, ultraviolet light signals as well as signals associated with intensity tuning or wavelength tuning. Audible signals should be understood to include those in and outside the audible range for humans. Moreover, audible signals that employ decibel tuning or frequency tuning may also be included. In some embodiments, thehost device330 may therefore couple audibly or optically with thedevice300 in order to communicate the control signal340 to authenticate and/or unlock thedevice300. Thus, the ability of thehost device330 with respect to transmission of the control signal340, and the environmental factors that may impact receipt of the control signal340 at thedevice300 are all important to successful authentication or authorization of thedevice300.
• Particularly for examples in which the control signal340 is an optical signal or audio signal, thedevice300 may include an aperture345 formed in a housing of thedevice300. The aperture345 may in turn provide access for the audio or optical signal that is an example of the control signal340 to reach asignal detector350. Thesignal detector350 may interface with alock assembly360 to alternately lock or unlock thedevice300 as described herein. In some cases, thesignal detector350 may further include a feedback device (FBD)352 that is configured to provide haptic, visual and/or audible feedback to the user relating to the success or failure of attempts to unlock the device300 (or other status information). In some cases, thefeedback device352 may include vibrating components, lights (e.g., one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs)) or speakers that provide an output responsive to successful or failed efforts to operate thelock assembly360. In an example embodiment, a different color or sequence of lights, or a different sound or tonal pattern may indicate success and failure or even other status information.
• In an example embodiment, thesignal detector350 may be configured to process the control signal340 to utilize or extract an unlock code therein for PSA. Thus, in a context in which the control signal340 is an optical signal, audio signal, an RF signal or a vibratory signal, it should be appreciated that thesignal detector350 is configured to process the control signal340 to determine the unlock code for provision to thelock assembly360 to unlock thelock assembly360 using the unlock code.
• Thelock assembly360 may be configured to prevent operation of thedevice300 for generating an aerosol when thedevice300 is in a locked state, and enable operation of thedevice300 for generating the aerosol when thedevice300 is in an unlocked state. For example, when in the locked state, the lock assembly configured to prevent operation of theaerosol generator106 ofFIG. 1 with respect to generating the aerosol, and enable operation of theaerosol generator106 for generating the aerosol in the unlocked state. Thelock assembly360 may be the last step in the PSA process (or one of the last steps), and may apply the unlock code (or unique code) provided in the control signal340 to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state if the unlock code is authenticated. As such, thesignal detector350 may receive the control signal340 and process the control signal340 using appropriate techniques to obtain the unlock code from the control signal340 and provide the unlock code to thelock assembly360. If authenticated, thelock assembly360 may enable thedevice300 to be shifted to the unlocked state to enable aerosol generation, thereby successfully completing the PSA process.
• As noted above, the control signal340 may be a wireless signal that may be, for example, optical or audible. General information regarding processing the control signal340 as an optical signal is provided in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/441,937, entitled “FUNCTIONAL CONTROL AND AGE VERIFICATION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES THROUGH VISUAL COMMUNICATION,” filed on Jun. 14, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. Similarly, information regarding processing the control signal340 as an audible signal is provided in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/441,903, entitled “FUNCTIONAL CONTROL AND AGE VERIFICATION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES THROUGH SPEAKER COMMUNICATION,” filed on Jun. 14, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. Thesignal detector350 may be configured to provide processing for the control signal340 in either context.
• To the extent a user obtains thedevice300 and attempts to perform PSA in the manner generally described above, but the attempted PSA fails due to limitations of thehost device330 or various technical or environmental factors, the user may become irritated or annoyed. Meanwhile, if the PSA attempt proceeds smoothly for the user, the likelihood of user satisfaction, positive reviews, and continued sales of such devices may be increased. Thus, to provide a higher likelihood of a positive user experience associated with PSA, example embodiments may provide the ability to ensure that thedevice300 is fully equipped to operate as intended to perform PSA by ensuring that each of thesignal detector350 and thelock assembly360 are functionally tested to operate properly as described in greater detail below.
• In an example embodiment, atesting fixture370 may be operably coupled to thedevice300 to test thedevice300 functionally before thedevice300 is sold or distributed in order to provide this ability. In this regard, for example, thetesting fixture370 may be configured to interface with thesignal detector350 to provide test signaling372. The test signaling372 may pass through the aperture345 formed in a housing of thedevice300, and otherwise cause thesignal detector350 to operate as described above to operate thelock assembly360 to transition to the unlocked state, and then transition back into the locked state. As such, thetesting fixture370 may be configured to cycle thedevice300 through the unlocked and locked states to confirm that thedevice300 operates properly for PSA. Thetesting fixture370 may also confirm other information about the device300 (e.g., a unique identifier or unique ID of the device300) in preparation for enabling thedevice300 to be sold or otherwise distributed and then unlocked by the user who purchases thedevice300. Operation of thetesting fixture370 and various structures, devices or components that may be employed in thetesting fixture370 will now be described in reference toFIGS. 4-9.
• FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of one example implementation of thetesting fixture370. In this regard,FIG. 4 illustrates externally visible features or structures of thetesting fixture370, and other figures will show internal features or components. In this example, thetesting fixture370 may have ahousing400 that houses or otherwise includes a plurality oftesting modules410. Thehousing400 may be a rigid structure supporting each of thetesting modules410 and, in some cases, thetesting modules410 themselves may be removable and/or replaceable to either repair or replace a damaged module, or replace modules configured to interface with one type of thedevice300 with modules that are configured to interface with other and different types of thedevice300.
• Each of the testing modules410 (e.g.,testing modules #1, #2, #3, #4, . . . #N) may have a same or similar structure toother testing modules410 used at any given time. Moreover, thetesting modules410 may be operated (or at least operable) simultaneously to conduct testing of multiple respective instances of thedevice300 ofFIG. 3. Thus, for example, an operator of thetesting fixture370 may insert an instance of thedevice300 into each one of thetesting modules410. Thetesting modules410 may then execute a testing procedure to test each instance of thedevice300 for proper unlocking and locking operation. In some cases, thetesting modules410 may also be used to extract or confirm other information from each instance of thedevice300 as well. For example, in some embodiments, thetesting modules410 may read the unique ID of each instance of thedevice300. Moreover, in some examples, the unlocking operation may be conducted using an unlock code that is generated based on (and in some cases specific to) the unique ID. Thus, for example, thetest modules410 may learn or extract the unique ID for thedevice300 in a given one of the testing modules410 (i.e., in its cavity412) and reference a listing of corresponding unique unlock codes in a table (stored inmemory504 ofFIG. 5). The unique unlock code for the corresponding unique ID used to enter the table may then be used to generate the unlock instruction for thedevice300. As an alternative, the unique ID could form a basis for generating the unique unlock code. In either example case, thememory504 may store instructions for generation of the unique unlock code based on the unique ID provided.
• In an example embodiment, each of thetesting modules410 may include the additional components or structures shown inFIG. 4 in association with testing module #1.In this regard, each of thetesting modules410 may include acavity412 into which a portion of the device300 (e.g., thehousing208 of theaerosol provision device202 or thehousing145 of theaerosol provision device141 described above). In other words, the non-consumable or power unit portion of thedevice300 may be inserted into thecavity412. As such, thecavity412 may be defined as an elongated slot that is shaped and formed to receive the power unit of thedevice300. Thus, thecavity412 may have a cylindrical shape, a rectangular prism shape, or various perturbations of these or other shapes in order to receive and support the power unit of thedevice300 that thetesting fixture370 is designed to test. In many cases, thecavity412 may be provided at the front side or front panel of thehousing400. In such cases, thecavity412 will typically extend into thehousing400 in a direction parallel to the surface on which thehousing400 is supported. However, thecavities412 may alternatively be on a sidewall of thehousing400 or another accessible surface or wall of thehousing400 such as the top surface. When provided at the top surface of thehousing400, thecavity412 may extend in a downward direction normal or perpendicular to the surface on which thehousing400 is supported.
• Each of thetesting modules410 may also include astatus panel414 to show a status of testing conducted on the power unit of thedevice300 in the corresponding one of thetesting modules410 and a start button416 (or a key, switch, lever, or other operable member) used as a user interface element for starting (or pausing) a test for the device in the corresponding one of thetesting modules410. The operator may therefore insert the power unit of thedevice300 into a selected one of the testing modules410 (e.g., testing module #1) and press thestart button416 of the selected one of thetesting modules410 to begin a test on the power unit of thedevice300. While that test begins or is in progress, the operator may insert the power unit of another instance of thedevice300 into an adjacent (or any other) one of the testing modules410 (e.g., testing module #2) and press thestart button416 of the adjacent (or other) one of the testing modules to begin a test on the power unit of the other instance of thedevice300. This process may be repeated for each of thetesting modules410 until, for example, all testingmodules410 have an instance of thedevice300 therein and are conducting or have completed conducting a test on the instance of thedevice300. The operator can continue to cycle through inserting, testing, withdrawing and inserting new devices in each of the cavities until a full batch of devices has been tested.
• Each of thetesting modules410 may also include a data input/output (IO)port418. In some cases, the data input/output port418 may be a universal serial bus (USB) port or other standard interface port. However, proprietary connections may alternatively be employed in some examples. Notably, althoughFIG. 4 shows fivetesting modules410, example embodiments are scalable to include any desirable number of thetesting modules410. In this regard, for example, the average time it takes to conduct a test may be balanced against the number of cavities so that a relatively continuous process of cycling through insertion of devices, initiation of testing, and replacement of the inserted devices with devices needing to be tested after testing of already inserted devices is complete may efficiently be performed.
• Each of the data input/output ports418 of thetesting modules410 may be operably coupled to a common point or device such as acommunications hub420. Thecommunications hub420 of this example may be a USB bank configured to connect each of thetesting modules410 to anoperator console430 for output of information associated with the testing processes being conducted at each respective one of thetesting modules410. Thus, for example, if five testing modules are included (i.e., N=5) as shown in the example ofFIG. 4, thecommunications hub420 may receive information from each of thetesting modules410 for provision to theoperator console430 via one data line (e.g., a single cable or connection), which may be wired or wireless.
• Theoperator console430 may include adisplay440 and any of a number of user interface components (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, touch screen interface, etc.). Theoperator console430 may therefore, in some cases, be a standalone computer or laptop. However, in other cases, theoperator console430 may be collection of individual user interface components such as thedisplay440 and a mouse, keyboard, etc. As such, it should be appreciated that thehousing400 may be connected to different operator consoles, or different components that may act as theoperator console430, and example embodiments and testing methods may still be practiced. In other words, thetesting fixture370 of example embodiments may be interchangeably connected to a number of different output devices or operator consoles. Thus, for example, an operator may obtain one or more instances of thetesting fixture370 and operably couple the instances of thetesting fixture370 with any suitable components or devices that can act as theoperator console430 and no special equipment may be needed to act as theoperator console430.
• However, in other instances, thetesting fixture370 may be configured to stand entirely alone, and operate testing described herein without any external connections. In such examples, either thecommunications hub420 and theoperator console430 may be internalized or parts of thetesting fixture370, or thetesting fixture370 may independently operate using just thestart button416 to start testing and thestatus panel414 to indicate whether the test has passed or failed (or is in progress). For example, thestatus panel414 may include a green light indicating a pass and a red light indicating a fail. Other lights, or simply patterns of flashing for the lights, may be used to indicate other statuses (e.g., testing in progress, time remaining for a test, test phase in progress, etc.).
• In such an example, the data associated with testing for each power unit of thedevice300 may be recorded in association with the unique ID of the corresponding device. Thus, for example, thestart button416 may be part of a keyboard or data entry panel via which the unique ID of each instance of thedevice300 may be entered. Alternatively, thetesting modules410 may be configured to automatically read and determine the unique ID directly from thedevice300. In either case, testing data may be recorded in association with each unique ID and stored locally at thetesting fixture370. The data input/output port418 may then be used at a later time to transfer data associated with each of the unique IDs tested to an external device (e.g., the operator console430). The data may then be displayed at the external device or otherwise be analyzed to determine patterns or clues that may be used to improve the testing process, or the locking/unlocking operations that are generally conducted for thedevice300 as described above. Alternatively, the data may be displayed on thedisplay440 either in real time or post hoc for analysis or use by the operator.
• As shown inFIG. 4, thedisplay440 may providedevice information450 for each respective instance of thedevice300 inrespective cavities412 of thetesting modules410. Thedevice information450 may include acavity identifier452, adevice identifier454 that provides the unique ID for the respective instance of thedevice300, andstatus information456 associated with the testing. Although not required, in some cases, thedevice information450 may also include a soft key such as astart button458, which may be used to control initiation, pausing, or other control over the conduct of testing at theoperator console430 instead of locally at the housing400 (and at each individual one of thetesting modules410 using the start button416).
• FIG. 5 illustrates a functional block diagram of various components of thetest fixture370 of an example embodiment. Thetest fixture370 may include processingcircuitry500 configured to perform data processing, control function execution and/or other processing and management services according to an example embodiment. In some embodiments, theprocessing circuitry500 may be embodied as a chip or chip set. In other words, theprocessing circuitry500 may comprise one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) including materials, components and/or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard). The structural assembly may provide physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electrical interaction for component circuitry included thereon. Theprocessing circuitry500 may therefore, in some cases, be configured to implement an embodiment of the present invention on a single chip or as a single “system on a chip.” As such, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute means for performing one or more operations for providing the functionalities described herein.
• In an example embodiment, theprocessing circuitry500 may include one or more instances of aprocessor502 andmemory504 that may be in communication with or otherwise control adevice interface510. As such, theprocessing circuitry500 may be embodied as a circuit chip (e.g., an integrated circuit chip) configured (e.g., with hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software) to perform operations described herein. However, in some embodiments, theprocessing circuitry500 may be embodied as a portion of an on-board computer.
• Thedevice interface510 may include one or more interface mechanisms for enabling communication with other devices (e.g., modules, entities, and/or other components of thetest fixture370, of thecontrol console430 ofFIG. 4, or the like). In some cases, thedevice interface510 may be any means such as a device or circuitry embodied in either hardware, or a combination of hardware and software that is configured to receive and/or transmit data from/to modules, entities, and/or other components that are in communication with the processing circuitry500 (directly or indirectly).
• Thedevice interface510 may, in some cases, connect theprocessing circuitry500 to internal and/or external components that combine to form a user interface for thetest fixture370. InFIG. 5, those user interface components are shown to include a monitor/display520 (which may be thedisplay440 ofFIG. 4, or one or all of thestatus panels414 associated with each of the testing modules410), akeyboard522, and amouse524. Themouse524 andkeyboard522 may be parts of theoperator console430 ofFIG. 4 or separate components. If separate, themouse524 andkeyboard522 may be operably coupled to theprocessing circuitry500 via standard connections (e.g., USB) or via proprietary means. Similarly, the monitor/display520 may have any of a number of connection means including, for example, HDMI. Moreover, thedevice interface510 may also or alternatively be operably coupled to other components that provide an audible, visual, mechanical or other output to the user such as, for example, speakers, switches, indicator lights, buttons or keys (e.g., function buttons), and/or other input/output mechanisms.
• In some embodiments, thedevice interface510 may also operably couple thetest fixture370 to a power supply526. Thus, for example, thedevice interface510 may include power control circuitry for converting AC to DC power (or vice versa) to power the electrical components of thetest fixture370. Thus, the power supply526 could be mains power or battery power, regardless of the individual power needs of the components of thetest fixture370.
• In some embodiments, thedevice interface510 may also operably coupled thetest fixture370 to external components for analysis, remote monitoring, or other purposes via anetwork528 that may be operably coupled to theprocessing circuitry500 via Ethernet or other networking technologies. Thenetwork528 may be a local, private, public, or other communication network including, for example, a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. In some cases, thetest fixture370 may include an input/output (I/O)expansion port530. The input/output expansion port530 may enable any of a number of additional devices, components, or modules to be operably coupled to thetest fixture370. Thus, for example, the input/output port530 could be used to connect thetest fixture370 directly to external devices (i.e., without a network connection) or may be used to expand the capacity of thetest fixture370 by enabling scaling of the number oftesting modules410 to which thetest fixture370 can be coupled. In some cases, the input/output expansion port530 may be operably coupled to aprinter529, which may be used to print the unique ID of each individual one of the devices. However, theprinter529 could alternatively be located in or accessed via thenetwork528. As noted above, the unique ID may be used to generate the proper unique unlock code for each respective different instance of thedevice300. Thus, the consumer or end user will need the unique ID in order to generate (e.g., via the host device330) the correct unique unlock code to operate thelock assembly360. By providing a printed label or other printed version of the unique ID, the information can be provided to the consumer or end user with the product after confirmation (by the test fixture370) that the unique unlock code corresponding to the unique ID does indeed work to unlock thelock assembly360.
• Theprocessor502 may be embodied in a number of different ways. For example, theprocessor502 may be embodied as various processing means such as one or more of a microprocessor or other processing element, a coprocessor, a controller or various other computing or processing devices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or the like. In an example embodiment, theprocessor502 may be configured to execute instructions stored in thememory504 or otherwise accessible to theprocessor502. As such, whether configured by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software, theprocessor502 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in circuitry—in the form of processing circuitry500) capable of performing operations according to example embodiments while configured accordingly. Thus, for example, when theprocessor502 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA or the like, theprocessor502 may be specifically configured hardware for conducting the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, when theprocessor502 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure theprocessor502 to perform the operations described herein associated with testing functional PSA capabilities.
• In an example embodiment, the processor502 (or the processing circuitry500) may be operably coupled to and control the operation of aPSA board540 associated with each one of thetest modules410. In this regard, based on inputs received by theprocessing circuitry500 responsive to insertion of a power unit into one of thecavities412, theprocessing circuitry500 may initiate the performance of testing via thePSA board540 associated with thecavity412. As such, in some embodiments, the processor502 (or the processing circuitry500) may be said to cause each of the operations described in connection with thePSA boards540 in relation to generating/receiving and processing information associated with locking/unlocking thelock assembly360 as described herein responsive to execution of instructions or algorithms configuring the processor502 (or processing circuitry500) accordingly.
• In an exemplary embodiment, thememory504 may include one or more non-transitory memory devices such as, for example, volatile and/or non-volatile memory that may be either fixed or removable. Thememory504 may be configured to store information, data, applications, instructions or the like for enabling theprocessing circuitry500 to carry out various functions in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, thememory504 could be configured to buffer input data for processing by theprocessor502. Additionally or alternatively, thememory504 could be configured to store instructions for execution by theprocessor502. As yet another alternative, thememory504 may include one or more databases that may store a variety of data sets responsive to operation of thePSA boards540. Among the contents of thememory504, applications and/or instructions may be stored for execution by theprocessor502 in order to carry out the functionality associated with each respective application/instruction. In some cases, the applications may include instructions for providing inputs to control operation of thePSA boards540 as described herein.
• In an example embodiment, thememory504 may store data associated with signaling used for locking/unlocking thelock assembly360 for analysis or debugging. Thus, for example, thememory504 may store signaling parameters or characteristics that may be used to analyze why a particular test associated with a particular one of thedevices300 failed by comparing such parameters or characteristics to those associated with other devices that passed. Thememory504 may further store instructions for defining how to store testing information, how to aggregate or process such information, and/or how to represent such information on the monitor/display520 or other output devices.
• As shown inFIG. 5, the number ofPSA boards540 may match the number oftesting modules410 since eachtesting module410 may include acorresponding PSA board540. Each of thePSA boards540 of an example embodiment may include anoptical sensor542 and anoptical transmitter544. However, it should be appreciated that to the extent audible signals are used, audio transmitters and receivers could replace theoptical transmitter544 andoptical sensor542, respectively. Theoptical transmitter544 may be configured to transmit optical signals to thedevice300 when inserted into one of thecavities412, and theoptical sensor542 may be configured to receive optical signals or feedback from thedevice300 in thecavity412. In some cases, only theoptical transmitter544 may be employed, and theoptical sensor542 may be omitted.
• Theoptical transmitter544 and optical sensor542 (if employed) of eachtesting module410 may be placed proximate to thecavity412 of thecorresponding testing module410.FIG. 6 shows a side view (in partial cross section) of a cavity600 (which is one example of thecavities412 ofFIG. 4) to illustrate how theoptical transmitter544 and theoptical sensor542 may be arranged in one example. Thecavity600 has anopening602 at a proximal end thereof, and a distal end of thecavity600 may be enclosed (e.g., within structures of the corresponding testing module410). In this regard,FIG. 6 shows apower unit610 of an instance of thedevice300 inserted into thecavity600 via theopening602. Notably, a portion of thepower unit610 extends out of the cavity600 (i.e., out of the opening602) to enable the operator to manually remove thepower unit610 from thecavity600 after testing is completed.
• Upon insertion of thepower unit610 into thecavity600, an electrical connection may be made between an electrical interface620 (e.g., connection pins) located in the distal end of thecavity600 andpower pins630 of thepower unit610. As noted above, thepower unit610 may have a unique ID associated therewith. In some example embodiments, the unique ID may automatically be read or extracted from thepower unit610 responsive to connection of thepower pints630 and theelectrical interface620. In some cases, insertion of thepower unit610 into thecavity600, and the corresponding connection of theelectrical interface620 of thetesting module410 to the power pins630 of thepower unit610 may also or alternatively automatically initiate a locking sequence to lock the power unit610 (i.e., to lock the lock assembly360). For example, the connection of theelectrical interface620 to the power pins630 may trigger (e.g., via instruction by thePSA board540 or the processor502) the sending of a lock instruction to lock thelock assembly360 via the connection. Although thepower unit610 may already be in a locked state, the provision of the lock instruction may ensure that regardless of the state of thepower unit610, the state is set to locked by default upon insertion of thepower unit610 into thecavity600.
• The insertion of thepower unit610 into thecavity600 may also align theoptical transmitter544 with anaperture640 formed in a body or housing of thepower unit610. An optical receiver of thepower unit610 may be aligned with theaperture640 to receive optical signals transmitted by theoptical transmitter544. To the extent theoptical sensor542 is employed, theoptical sensor542 may also be aligned with astatus light650 of thepower unit610. Thestatus light650 may provide a pattern, color or other light output that may indicate status or status changes of thepower unit610.
• In an example embodiment, theprocessing circuitry500 may manage operation of the PSA board540 (and more particularly of theoptical transmitter544 and the optical sensor542) for the provision of an unlock instruction via theoptical transmitter544. For example, after the lock instruction is sent, a delay of a predetermined time may be initiated and, when expired, theoptical transmitter544 may provide an unlock code via optical signaling that comprises the unlock instruction delivered through theaperture640 to an optical receiver of thepower unit610. If the unlock code is properly received by thepower unit610, thepower unit610 will switch to thelock assembly360 to the unlocked state. Switching to the unlocked state may cause a feedback or status signal to be generated by thestatus light650 of thepower unit610. Theoptical sensor542 may detect the feedback or status signal from thestatus light650 indicating the unlocking of thepower unit610.
• Responsive to determining that thepower unit610 has been successfully transitioned to the unlocked state, theprocessing circuitry500 may provide an indication to thestatus panel414 and/or thedisplay440 to indicate that the functional test of thepower unit610 has passed (e.g., via a green light or other pass indication). Theprocessing circuitry500 may then further direct transitioning thepower unit610 back to the locked state (e.g., via the connection of theelectrical interface620 to the power pins630 as described above). If the feedback or status signal from thestatus light650 of thepower unit610 does not indicate that thepower unit610 successfully transitioned to the unlocked state, theprocessing circuitry500 may provide an indication to thestatus panel414 and/or thedisplay440 to indicate that the functional test of thepower unit610 has failed (e.g., via a red light or other fail indication).
• FIG. 6 shows theoptical transmitter544 and theoptical sensor542 both disposed on a top portion of thecavity600. However, theoptical transmitter544 and theoptical sensor542 could alternatively both be located on either side or the bottom portion of thecavity600. Moreover, in some cases, theoptical transmitter544 and theoptical sensor542 could be on different sides of thecavity600. For example, theoptical transmitter544 could be located at the top portion of thecavity600 and theoptical sensor542 may be located at the bottom portion of thecavity600. The structure of the power unit610 (and location of theaperture640 and status light650) will typically dictate the locations of theoptical transmitter544 and theoptical sensor542 within thecavity600. In some cases, thecavity600 may also include one or more shielding structures (e.g., a wall or other physical separator) aimed at ensuring that the light signals transmitted by or to theoptical transmitter544 and theoptical sensor542 are not visible at the other one of theoptical transmitter544 or theoptical sensor542. In other words, the shielding structures may isolate each respective component from the other to avoid interference.
• AlthoughFIG. 6 illustrates theaperture640 and thestatus light650 being spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal length of thepower unit610, such spacing need not be provided in all cases. When such spacing exists, as noted above, theoptical transmitter544 and theoptical sensor542 may also be equally spaced apart along the longitudinal length of thecavity600. As an alternative, theaperture640 andstatus light650 may be collocated or adjacent to each other. In such examples, thePSA board700 ofFIG. 7 may be employed.
• As shown inFIG. 7, thePSA board700 may include alight ring710 upon which a plurality ofLEDs720 may be placed.FIG. 7 shows sixLEDs720 provided on thelight ring710. However, more orfewer LEDs720 could be included in alternative embodiments. Thelight ring710 and theLEDs720 may form theoptical transmitter544 ofFIGS. 5 and 6. ThePSA board700 may also include a pair ofphototransistors730. However, a single phototransistor or multiple additional phototransistors may be employed in some alternatives. Thephototransistors730 may form theoptical sensor542. In this example, thelight ring710 surrounds thephototransistors730. This supports a concentric collocation of theoptical transmitter544 and theoptical sensor542. However, other arrangements (e.g., adjacent) could alternatively be employed.
• FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of a method of functionally testing the unlock capability of an aerosol provision device (e.g., a power unit thereof) according to an example embodiment. The method ofFIG. 8 may be performed by thetest fixture370 described above. As shown inFIG. 8, the method may include an initial operation of monitoring for insertion of a power unit into a cavity of the test fixture atoperation800.Operation805 represents a decision block associated with the monitoring ofoperation800. In this regard, failure to detect any power unit in the cavity may cause a loop back tooperation800. Meanwhile, if insertion is positively detected (e.g., via a change in resistance associated with making electrical connections of thetest fixture370 with power pins in the power unit), then the power unit may be confirmed or otherwise placed into the locked state atoperation810. In an example embodiment, the action ofoperation810 may be automatically performed responsive to a positive result inoperation805. In some cases, as noted above, the placement of the power unit in the locked state may occur through signaling provided via the power pins of the power unit. The power pins, or any other suitable connection to the onboard microcontroller or processing circuitry of the power unit, may then be used by thetest fixture370 to extract the unique ID from the power unit atoperation815. The unique ID may be, for example, a unique six digit identification number for the power unit that may be assigned by the manufacturer. Although not required, in some cases, an optional check may be conducted to determine whether the extracted unique ID matches a provided identifier (e.g., provided by the manufacturer). The provided identifier may, in some cases, be captured electronically by a reader or scanner. For example, a reader or scanner may be embodied as a camera, or other light or optical detector. In one example, the user may capture a picture of an identifier (e.g., bar code) associated with the power unit. Example bar codes may include any type of scannable identifier, such as a universal product code (UPC), data matrix code, and/or a quick response (QR) code. The code may include any one-dimensional (1D) codes, two-dimensional (2D) codes, three-dimensional (3D) codes, or other types of codes. In any case, the unique ID extracted from the power unit may be compared to the provided identifier atoperation820. If there is not a match, the operator may be informed atoperation825. The operator may then take any appropriate corrective action. However, if there is a match, flow may proceed tooperation830.
• If there is no comparison step, flow may proceed tooperation830 direction fromoperation815.Operation830 may include employing the unique ID to determine a corresponding unique unlock code for operation of thelock assembly360 as described above. Thus, for example, a lookup table may be used to determine the unique unlock code, or the unique unlock code may be derived from the unique ID. In any case, after the unique unlock code is determined, the unique unlock code may be provided to the power unit via optical signaling from the test fixture atoperation835. After receiving the unique unlock code, as shown atoperation840, thetest fixture370 may receive feedback regarding the transition of the power unit to the unlocked state (or acceptance of the unique unlock code). The feedback may come, for example, in the form of a flashing light sequence or other optical indication that may be provided from the power unit to thetest fixture370. A determination may be made regarding the feedback provided (e.g., whether the feedback indicates pass or fail) atoperation845. If unlock fails, and the feedback provided to the operator indicates the failure, as shown atoperation850, the operator may take any suitable actions in response and the flow may also return tooperation800. If instead the feedback indicates the success of the unlock operation, then thetest fixture370 may be configured to place the power unit back in the locked state responsive to the positive feedback atoperation855. The transition to the locked state may be conducted as noted above in relation tooperation810.
• In an example embodiment, the power unit may again provide feedback regarding the transition to the locked state atoperation860, so a determination can be made atoperation865 as to whether the locking operation was also successful. If the locking operation fails, then an indication may be provided to the operator and flow may return tooperation850. However, if the locking operation is successful, an indication of the success may be provided (e.g., via visual or audible feedback to the operator) atoperation870. In some cases, the indication of success may then triggeroperation875, which may include provision of the unique ID to a printer. The unique ID may then be placed on a sticker or other material that may accompany the power unit when sold or transferred. In some embodiments, the unique ID may be provided as a bar code or other coded visual element that can be scanned by thehost device330 to conduct PSA.
• Operations800-875 may be considered to define a functional unlock test of a power unit (e.g., power unit610). Each individual step of the functional unlock test may be monitored, recorded and/or reported either alone or in groups. In some cases, multiple test modules may be employed to enable multiple instances of the functional unlock test to be conducted in parallel for a plurality of power units inserted into respective cavities. Moreover, the parallel testing may be conducted simultaneously, but also entirely independent of one another, and therefore asynchronously. Because each of the cavities has its own independently operable light source (e.g., optical transmitter544), independent and asynchronous testing is possible. In this regard, for example, in an example of thetest fixture370 shown herein with fivecavities412, the operator may insert a power unit in any number of the five cavities412 (e.g., one, two, three, four or five). The operator may wait until all cavities that are to be filled have been filled, and then start the testing in sequence for each cavity (i.e., starting each cavity one by one in order). The operator may then wait until all tests are complete before replacing the tested power units with untested power units and completing the process described above. The control console of some embodiments may even have a bulk, or simultaneous start operator, which allows the operator to start multiple tests at the same time (and with one button push).
• However, as an alternative, the operator could instead insert one power unit and start its test, and then insert another power unit (e.g., in an adjacent cavity) and start testing on the other power unit, and do this process in sequence until either all cavities are full, or one or more of the tests are completed. The operator can manage inserting power units, starting testing and replacing tested power units with untested ones in any order or arrangement desired.
• FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of a method associated with performance of one or more functional tests as described above. In this regard, the method may include performing a functional unlock test of a first power unit with a test fixture atoperation900, and performing a functional unlock test of a second power unit with a second power unit simultaneously and/or asynchronously with performing the functional unlock test of the first power unit atoperation910. The method may further include recording data associated with performing the functional unlock tests of each of the first and second power units atoperation920. The recording of such data may be done independently for each testing module, and may be stored locally or remotely (e.g., via the network528). In some cases, the method may further include analyzing the recorded data to determine modifications to an optical transmitter of the test fixture atoperation930. The modifications may include, for example, providing adjustments to light intensity, frequency or code provision speed of the optical transmitter.
• Some example embodiments may provide a method for functional testing of aerosol provision devices prior to packaging, shipping or otherwise distributing such devices. The functional testing may provide confirmation of each device's ability to properly be unlocked using the PSA techniques defined for the devices. Accordingly, as can be appreciated from the examples above, the method for functional testing of aerosol provision devices may include performing a functional unlock test of a power unit. The functional test of the power unit may include extracting a unique identifier from the power unit of an aerosol provision device responsive to operable coupling of the power unit to a test fixture, determining an unlock code based on the unique identifier, providing the unlock code to the power unit via the test fixture to transition the power unit to an unlocked state, and transitioning the power unit to a locked state. Notably, however, the functional unlock test is just one example of a transition that may be accomplished using the method described above. Thus, more generally, the locked and unlocked states should be understood to be examples of transitions between an initial state and a transitioned state. Accordingly, as used herein, the terms locked state and unlocked state are examples of states between devices may transition via the method described above. Other initial and transitioned states may also be included in example embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure provided herein, and the corresponding claims. Thus, the unlock code described above is also more generally an example of a transition code that may be used to transition a device from an initial state (e.g., a locked state) to a transitioned state (e.g., an unlocked state).
• The method may include a number of modifications, augmentations, or optional additions, some of which are described herein. The modifications, augmentations or optional additions listed below may be added in any desirable combination. Within this context, the system as described above may be considered a first embodiment, and other embodiments may be defined by each respective combination of modifications, augmentations or optional additions. For example, a second embodiment may be defined in which the functional state transition test of the power unit further includes detecting insertion of the power unit into a test module of the test fixture. In this context, extracting the unique identifier may be executed automatically in response to detecting the insertion of the power unit into the test fixture. Alternatively or additionally, a third embodiment may be defined in which detecting the insertion of the power unit is performed based on an electrical connection between power pins of the power unit and an electrical interface of the test fixture. In this context, extracting the unique identifier may be executed via the power pins and the electrical interface. In an example embodiment, a fourth embodiment may be defined in which the functional state transition test of the power unit further comprises placing the power unit in the locked/initial state prior to obtaining the unlock/transition code. The fourth embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to three. In some examples, a fifth embodiment may be defined in which the functional state transition test of the power unit further includes receiving feedback from the power unit indicating acceptance of the unlock/transition code. In this context, transitioning the power unit to the locked/initial state may be performed in response to receipt of the feedback from the power unit indicating acceptance of the unlock/transition code. The fifth embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to four. In an example embodiment, a sixth embodiment may be defined in which the method further includes printing the unique identifier responsive to receipt of the feedback from the power unit indicating acceptance of the unlock/transition code. The sixth embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to five. In some examples, a seventh embodiment may be defined in which the method further includes comparing the unique identifier extracted to a provided identifier to determine whether the unique identifier extracted matches the provided identifier. The seventh embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to six. In an example embodiment, an eighth embodiment may be defined in which the provided identifier is read or scanned from a code associated with the power unit. The eighth embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to seven. In some examples, a ninth embodiment may be defined in which the printed unique identifier is included in packaging of the power unit. The ninth embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to eight. In an example embodiment, a tenth embodiment may be defined in which determining the unlock/transition code includes entering a lookup table with the unique identifier to obtain the unlock/transition code based on an association of the unique identifier to the unlock/transition code in the lookup table. The tenth embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to nine. In some examples, an eleventh embodiment may be defined in which the method further includes recording data associated with the performing the functional state transition test of the power unit. The eleventh embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to ten. In some examples, a twelfth embodiment may be defined in which the method further includes analyzing the recorded data to determine modifications to an optical transmitter of the test fixture. The twelfth embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to eleven. In some examples, a thirteenth embodiment may be defined in which determining the modifications includes providing adjustments to light intensity, frequency or code provision speed of the optical transmitter. The thirteenth embodiment may be combined with any or all of embodiments one to twelve. The method may also include performing a functional state transition test of a second power unit with a second power unit simultaneously and/or asynchronously with performing the functional state transition test of the first power unit, where the functional state transition test of the second power unit is essentially a repeat of any or all of the steps or embodiments described above on another power unit in another testing module. Of course, this duplication could be multiplied or scaled to any desirable level.
• Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits or solutions to problems are described herein, it should be appreciated that such advantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some example embodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, any advantages, benefits or solutions described herein should not be thought of as being critical, required or essential to all embodiments or to that which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (20)

That which is claimed:

1. A method for testing aerosol provision devices, the method comprising performing a functional state transition test of a power unit, the functional state transition test of the power unit comprising:

extracting a unique identifier from the power unit of an aerosol provision device responsive to operable coupling of the power unit to a test fixture;

determining a transition code based on the unique identifier;

providing the transition code to the power unit via the test fixture to transition the power unit from an initial state to a transitioned state; and

transitioning the power unit to the initial state.

2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the functional state transition test of the power unit further comprises detecting insertion of the power unit into a test module of the test fixture, and

wherein extracting the unique identifier is executed automatically in response to detecting the insertion of the power unit into the test fixture.

3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein detecting the insertion of the power unit is performed based on an electrical connection between power pins of the power unit and an electrical interface of the test fixture, and

wherein extracting the unique identifier is executed via the power pins and the electrical interface.

4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein initial state is a locked state and the transitioned state is an unlocked state,

wherein the transition code is an unlock code, and

wherein the functional test of the power unit further comprises placing the power unit in the locked state prior to obtaining the unlock code.

5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the functional test of the power unit further comprises receiving feedback from the power unit indicating acceptance of the unlock code,

wherein transitioning the power unit to the locked state is performed in response to receipt of the feedback from the power unit indicating acceptance of the unlock code.

6. The method ofclaim 5, further comprising printing the unique identifier responsive to receipt of the feedback from the power unit indicating acceptance of the unlock code.

7. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising comparing the unique identifier extracted to a provided identifier to determine whether the unique identifier extracted matches the provided identifier.

8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the provided identifier is read or scanned from a code associated with the power unit.

9. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the printed unique identifier is included in packaging of the power unit.

10. The method ofclaim 1, wherein determining the transition code comprises entering a lookup table with the unique identifier to obtain the transition code based on an association of the unique identifier to the transition code in the lookup table.

11. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising recording data associated with the performing the functional state transition test of the power unit.

12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising analyzing the recorded data to determine modifications to an optical transmitter of the test fixture.

13. The method ofclaim 12, wherein determining the modifications comprises providing adjustments to light intensity, frequency or code provision speed of the optical transmitter.

14. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising performing a functional state transition test of a second power unit, the functional state transition test of the second power unit comprising:

detecting insertion of the second power unit into a second test module of the test fixture;

extracting a second unique identifier from the second power unit responsive to operable coupling of the second power unit to the test fixture;

determining a second transition code based on the second unique identifier;

providing the second transition code to the second power unit via the test fixture to transition the second power unit from the initial state to the transitioned state; and

transitioning the second power unit to the initial state.

15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein performing the functional state transition test of the second power unit is performed simultaneously with performing the functional state transition test of the power unit.

16. The method ofclaim 14, wherein performing the functional state transition test of the second power unit is performed asynchronously with respect to performing the functional state transition test of the power unit.

17. The method ofclaim 14, further comprising recording data associated with the performing the functional state transition test of the power unit and the functional state transition test of the second power unit.

18. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising analyzing the recorded data to determine modifications to a first optical transmitter of the first test module and/or a second optical transmitter of the second test module of the test fixture.

19. The method ofclaim 18, wherein determining the modifications comprises providing adjustments to light intensity, frequency or code provision speed of the first or second optical transmitter.

20. The method ofclaim 14, wherein a first optical transmitter provides the transition code to the power unit, and a second optical transmitter provides the second transition code to the second power unit, and

wherein the first and second optical transmitters are each independently controlled to provide different optical transition signals at respective different times based on the first and second transition codes, respectively.

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